2 Inspiring Stories From Our North Carolina Chapter

This month, we’d like to take a moment to recognize the outstanding achievements of our Western North Carolina chapter in the nuclear disarmament field. Below are two inspiring stories of these members’ dedication to nuclear disarmament, demonstrating their passion, persistence, and ingenuity in advocating PSR’s message.

Mr. Gilman Steps up to Advocate for Humanitarian Initiative at NC Rotary

Mr. Steve Gilman was inspired by the Security Committee’s leaders to give a presentation at the Brevard North Carolina Rotary Club on the humanitarian impact of nuclear weapons. In preparation for his presentation, he decided to put on a “Public Relations” hat and submitted an article advertising the event in the Brevard local newspaper. As soon as he arrived, he realized that his publicity had paid off by the large turnout, which inspired him to give the most passionate presentation he could. His ingenuity shined bright as he shared a personal statement with each slide while diligently referring to his notes to ensure that all the pertinent information was covered. He was rewarded at the end with loud applause, which marked a turning point for him as a presenter. Now, Mr. Gillman can’t wait for his next opportunity to present, and he is already seeking further presentation opportunities with Rotary in order to advocate for this important issue.

Op-Ed in the Asheville Citizen-Times by Dr. Lew Patrie and Mr. Robert Howarth

Dr. Lew Patrie and Mr. Robert Howarth recently published an op-ed in the Asheville Citizen-Times demonstrating their passion for nuclear disarmament and their persistence to educate the public on the ridiculous nature of the MAD (mutually assured destruction) game. In their op-ed, they cite the startling Congressional request of roughly $1 trillion to modernize our nuclear arsenal over the next 30 years, and follow this by asking the reader if this money could instead be better spent on things such as education or healthcare. It’s truly an eye-opening article and upon reading, it’s clear that these two gentleman are committed to educating the public on the dangers of continuing to have nuclear weapons programs.

On behalf of PSR national, we’d like to thank the North Carolina chapter for the dedication they’ve shown this month in furthering our efforts to abolish nuclear weapons. We hope that these stories will inspire other chapters to continue doing the hard work of advocating our message, and we look forward to hearing more about the wonderful things our chapters have accomplished!